Communications Payload Subsystems

	Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) International Space Station (ISS) (source: NASA)

Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS)

We provided the communications heart of the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). Inducted into the U.S. Space Foundation Hall of Fame for our role in the successful development and commercialization of ACTS, we provided its baseband processor switch creating a "switchboard in the sky."

International Space Station (ISS)

General Dynamics provides the communications heart of the International Space Station: the communications payload subsystem. This subsystem is comprised of a Ku-Band high rate frame multiplexer, Ku-Band high rate modem, two S-Band transponders, two S-Band assembly and contingency base band signal processors and the interim control module (ICM) command receiver.

Located in the ISS Laboratory Modules, the Ku-Band high rate frame multiplexer and Ku-Band high rate modem defy the Laws of Nature by being able to encode and decode data at a rate of 43 million bits per second. If not for this equipment, data from the research conducted on the Space Station would not be communicated to and from the ISS Laboratory Modules and Earth, much less in the technical format necessary for all ISS partners to utilize.

Two sets of equipment, each consisting of an S-Band tracking, telemetry, and control (TT&C) transponder and an S-Band assembly and contingency base band signal processor (ACBSP), are located in two separate areas of the Space Station's main truss, providing the vital communications link between Earth and the spacecraft. All of the spacecraft's commands are transmitted and received through these transponders and processors.

Our command receiver for the interim control module (IC) provides the communications for the propulsion element of the ISS, designed to back up the Russian-developed Service Module of the ISS.

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